


Nadadel

by Daughter_of_the_Mountains



Series: Nadadel [3]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Basically Óin Goes Through A Ceremony That Will Make Him The Legal Guardian Of His Baby Bro, Ceremonies, Gen, Hair Braiding, rites, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-03-01 18:17:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2782886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daughter_of_the_Mountains/pseuds/Daughter_of_the_Mountains
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Will you take on the duties of a third father?"</p><p>Of course he will. Why ask such a stupid question? Óin nods. "Aye, go on then."</p><p>Behind him, Balin sighs a little at his response.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nadadel

Time to put on the sapphire-blue again. This time, however, the event is... a slightly more cheerful one. The start of a new era, or whatever it was that Balin said. Óin puts his hair in a tight braid, willing it to look respectable and mature enough.

Nothing must ruin today.

Glóin is standing by his doorway, dark eyes watching him. "Brother," he softly murmurs.

"Aye?" Glóin pauses. Óin finishes his hair and moves to his sibling, gently pulling a lock that has already escaped his brother's style. Typical. He shall have to do it again now. "Tell me, nadadith."

"What's this thing going to be like?"

Emotional. That's what. But Óin can't say this to his anxious sibling. Instead, he plasters on a smile. "It'll be quite long, I imagine. Don't yawn or anything."

Glóin smiles a little at this. "I wouldn't dare. Balin would rip my head from my shoulders."

Indeed. Balin wants Óin to succeed at this... this gêmadad thing as much as Óin does. So far, Óin believes he's done quite well.  "Brother, do you understand what a gêmadad is?"

Glóin nods and looks down. Óin takes the opportunity to fix his sibling's hair as he listens to Glóin's mumbled synopsis of the Dwarven word. "It means 'third father'. You would take on full responsibility for me."

"Will."  Óin corrects him. "I _will_ take on full responsibility for you."

"Do you want to?" At his elder brother's somewhat sharp gaze, Glóin hastens to explain. "I mean...is it because you _have_ to, or...?"

Ah. Óin gently bumps his forehead to his brother's, almost smiling. "Glóin. Remember what I told you at Adad's funeral?"

"The day you abandon me will be the day fish walk and mountains fall."

"And?"

Black eyes flicker down in abashment. "You love me."

"Yes. You're all I have left of them. Aye, we've our father's kin, but you're all that I have of Amad...  _and...._ Adad." 

Bugger. Talking about them is bringing a waver to his voice and a burn to his eyes. He closes his eyes quickly, not wanting Glóin to see him being so idiotic, but is apparently too late, hearing a soft gasp. Then arms are tightening themselves around his belly, a head of flaming red is propping up his jaw and he hears mumbled promises of angelic behaviour. He grins.

"You should only make promises you can keep."

Glóin looks up at him, expression baleful. "You don't think I can be good?" 

He hugs him, rubbing his brother's back gently. "I think you'd try your best...at first."

Glóin hmphs, but leans his head against his brother's chest, careful of his hair. "No one's perfect," he mumbles.

'You _are, you funny, dear child,'_ Óinthinks, but doesn't say this out-loud. Glóin heartily dislikes being reminded of his youth, which had always made Amad cackle with laughter.

"Part of me doesn't wish to go." Glóin confesses. "It seems like such a frightening thing."

"What frightens you?"

 Whatever it is, Glóin seems unable to tell him. His dark, wide eyes are blinking a lot and Óinquickly presses their foreheads together again. "What if..." Glóin whispers.

 _'What if what?'_   Óinwonders. Quietly, he asks his brother what he means.

"What if we can't do this?"

"Oh, we can," Óintells him. "We are sons of Durin. If we want something _done_ , by _Mahal_ , we _get_ it done. This will be _fine_ , I promise you." Óinloosens his arms. "Come. We need to go, ere Balin comes by and drags us there by our ears."

* * *

 Candles are lit, their heady, strong smell attacking them. These are special ones, coloured a pale blue, yet it looks white from a distance. Their juzral smiles at them and pats their shoulders.

"Is everyone present?" Yes. Their cousins are here, all watching, witnesses to this event.  Their juzral nods. " Good. Let us proceed."

Where they stand now, their father and mother once lay in caskets, small gems over their eyes, covered in gold-embroidered cloths,a single gold coin in one hand and a  raven feather in the other. Glóin  is staring at the ground.

"Pull up your sleeves and take your brother's hand."

They do  so and catch the other's eye. Glóin  looks uncertain and Óinsqueezes his hand a little and keeps looking at him.  _'Have faith, nadadith. It shall be fine.'_

Their juzral ties a ribbon around his wrist and ties the other end around Glóin's. The ribbon is pink like rose quartz. "Protect and love your brother."

What does the juzral think he's been doing for the past 62 years?

Now he ties a yellow one the colour of a citrine around their wrists. "Teach him wisdom."

Dwalin hmphs in the background, which makes Glóin  roll his eyes a little.

The juzral ignores this and ties another to them. This one is emerald-green. "Keep him safe and help him grow." He takes a sapphire-blue one and ties that to them as well. "Comfort him when he needs you to. Blue is the colour of your father's house. Keep teaching him the values and morals that your father was teaching you."

He sees Glóin  blink and knows what he's thinking. What would either give for him to walk in and be _alive?_

The juzral now links them together with a white ribbon. "This starts a new life for you both. Don't forget your parents, but don't hesitate to raise him as you would your own. Honour each other and make your amad and adad proud as they watch upon you from Mahal's Halls."

Now he ties a last ribbon, one of silver around them. "Be compassionate to the other. Understand your differences and be quick and ready to put them aside for the good of the other." He holds their hands up. "These are the bonds that represent your vows. To be trustworthy of caring for your sibling, you must love him, protect him, defend him, keep him alive, raise him to be as your parents would have wanted," the juzral pauses. "To the best of your abilities, at least." His golden eyes catch theirs. "These also symbolise the bonds that hold you together. You must never break these bonds _or_ these vows for these are what keep you together."

Glóin is biting his lip.  Óinoffers him a gentle smile and squeezes his hand again.

The juzral turns back to Óin. "Will you take on the duties of a third father?"

Of course he will. Why ask such a stupid question? Óin nods. "Aye, go on then."

Behind him, Balin sighs a little at his response.

The juzral smiles. "I'm sure you will do your parents proud."

A prayer to Mahal is sent and the juzral slips the ribbons over their wrists and hands them to the elder brother. "Hang these where you will both see them to remind you of your vows. Now, take some of your brother's hair and clip it back so his family braids show."

Carefully taking a handful of red, Óin traces the tiny braids that were woven into his sibling's hair by his parents.

"Place your own braid into his hair alongside those of your parents."

He's been practicing this on Glóin since their adad's funeral. He tries to make it ceremonious, but his brother is looking anxious and he has to hurry ere he fidgets. Braid done, he clips it with a tiny silver clasp and lets the curtain of red fall down. Then frowns as one of his brother's plaits undoes itself. 

Bloody typical. 

"The ceremony is finished. Remember your vows to Mahal, your parents and each other." The juzral catches the eyes of both and nods. "I wish you both the very best of luck."  


End file.
